Substance Use and HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities Training Program

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ABSTRACT This application seeks continuation of funding for the Substance Use and HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities program (SUHPR) at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). SUHPR addresses the urgent need to promote clinical prevention research and reduce health disparities in marginalized communities where substance use is a crucial public health concern. SUHPR also aims to increase the number of scientists from diverse backgrounds who attain NIH funding. Specifically, SUHPR will: 1) Increase visiting professor (VP) trainees' capacity to conduct interdisciplinary clinical research that elucidates and addresses the links between substance use and HIV in marginalized communities in line with NIDA and the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) priorities; 2) Fund pilot studies to provide preliminary data for grant proposals; 3) Assist in the development of VP research careers and skills and the conceptualization, writing, submission, revision, and resubmission of NIH grants that focus on substance use, HIV prevention, and HIV care outcomes, via mentoring meetings, seminars, webinars, and peer networking; and 4) Sustain and expand the research programs of former VPs by engaging them via peer reviews and writing retreats, while leveraging their experience as peer reviewers, mentors, and collaborators. Aims 1-3 will be accomplished through VPs participating in a three-year summer intensive program at UCSF. Each VP will visit UCSF for six weeks per summer for three summers, attending seminars on HIV and substance use research, methods, and grant writing. In the first summer, faculty mentors and peer VPs will assist each VP to develop their research ideas into feasible research applications (Aim 1), develop a plan for their pilot study (Aim 2), and begin drafting an NIH grant proposal (Aim 3). VPs will then initiate the pilot studies during the academic year following the first summer. In the second summer, VPs will complete and submit their NIH grant proposals. Following the second summer, VPs will present pilot study findings at scientific conferences and draft manuscripts for publication submission. During the third summer, VPs will revise and resubmit the proposal in response to NIH reviewer feedback. If VPs receive NIH funding prior to the third summer, the VP program will mentor them in study start-up activities to enhance the rigor and likely success of their NIH-funded studies. Between summers (during the academic year), faculty mentors will communicate with VPs at least monthly, supplemented by webinars and virtual writing retreats. To fortify this intensive research education experience, the SUHPR program will provide scientific peer reviews and consultations after the third summer to help VPs from diverse backgrounds remain in the research pipeline and extend their innovative programs of substance use and HIV research (Aim 4). We will involve successful former VPs for peer reviews, mentoring, and collaboration activities with current VPs.